February 13, 2012

Understanding the nature of the East Angola Conference…Our second meeting with Bishop Quipungo (our first being an early Saturday morning wake-up call at our host house) came on our fourth day in Angola. On Monday, January 30th we were invited to the Bishop’s office at 9:00 am for an opportunity to greet the Bishop, review our schedule, tour the conference office, learn about the nature of the East Angola Annual Conference, and learn a bit about their experience of the Yellowstone Conference supplemental salary partnership.

The Bishop shared with us many things that were extremely helpful to us in our quest to understand the east Angola Conference, the impact of our partnership, and our desire to learn about some of the needs of the churches in East Angola. Established in 1988, the East Angola conference has grown to 6 districts, 2 mission areas, 66 churches, and 70 active pastors (54 of which are part of the salary supplement program) and is host to a high level of incredible mission and ministry happening out at the nearby Quessua Mission Station. I’ll be reflecting on our conversation with the Bishop and gaining insight for weeks to come, but for now, my thoughts are occupied by a portion of our conversation that dealt with the struggle the conference is having with the retention of educated pastors. As we are already well aware of… pastoral compensation is extremely low in East Angola… for many of the pastors, our $40.00 a month supplement is the only compensation they receive. While a number of the pastors in the conference are bi-vocational, nearly all of them still have a difficult time making “ends meet.” The desire for more education for the pastors of East Angola was communicated to us on many occasions… one of the byproducts, however, is that, as the education level of the pastor rises so does their value in other segments of society. One example that the Bishop gave was that the government actively seeks out educated persons and is able to pay $500-$800, or more, per month which is very attractive to pastors making $40-$100 a month and to pastors who are bi-vocational. While we need to do more work investigating and understanding this dynamic, I believe that we can do more for the pastors.

Personally, I would like to see us double our support each year and I would like to see us be a bit aggressive in our quest to find other partners in the United States who would be willing to match our annual contribution to the salary supplement project. In addition, I would like for us to identify a few education oriented partners that could help us to encourage and support the lay and pastoral equipping opportunities available out at Quessua, which will also require some capital improvements to the mission station itself. I fully understand that we have our hands full with the supplemental salary project, but in this case, salary support and lay/pastor education go hand in hand. While we can’t necessarily handle both salary supplement and education on our own… we can certainly be active in telling the story of the Angolan people and we can work assiduously to find additional partners for both. The work we are doing with the salary supplement project is phenomenal for a conference the size of ours and means more to the people of Angola than I could have ever imagined. It took being on the ground in Angola for me to fully understand the nature and impact of the relationship we have with the East Angola Annual Conference.

Always Unique…Worship is always a unique experience… whether it’s at Polson UMC in Montana, East Heights UMC in Kansas, at the Subway Sandwich Shop in Polson, at Flathead Lake Camp, at Horizon United Methodist Camp, on Notch Mountain looking out at Mt. of the Holy Cross, at the opening session of the World Methodist Council in Seoul Korea, in China, in Reynosa Mexico, in Pital Costa Rica, at the opening session of General Conference, at Quest Church in Seattle, at Mars Hill in Grand Rapids, or at Jacob’s Well in Kansas City… worship is always unique, it is always (in some way) infused with the spirit of God, and it is always a reflection of the people and the context in which it is created and celebrated. I’m blessed to be able to add a few African worship experiences to my list.

While in Angola, we worshipped at the Central United Methodist Church in Malanje, at the United Methodist Church in Kimbamba, with the Course of Study students out at the Quessua Mission Station, and during the graduation ceremony of the Course of study Students. Each worship experience was unique and enlightening in its own way…• Central United Methodist Church of Malanje ~ Two days after our arrival, we were treated to our first Angolan worship experience. I remember Alcides, one of our hosts, telling us that there would be three parts… announcements, singing, and a time of teaching… he also told us to expect worship to last about two hours. Announcement time offered up a wide variety of ‘announcements… the announcements varied from ministry announcements to the introduction of special guests (including the three of us and a retired East Angolan Bishop), as well as a unique time for those who had ‘been away from the church’ to talk about their return and why they hadn’t been around. Interwoven throughout worship were many musical offerings… congregational singing, the main choir, a men’s choir, a women’s choir, and a children’s choir all took a moment to share their musical gifts… lots of music and lots of dancing.

On one occasion, following introduction and a word of grace, the congregation sang a favorite song of the retired Bishop who was attending with his family. Multiple offerings were collected during worship… we had several opportunities to make an offering for the musical celebration as well as one main offering for the church. The sanctuary was filled to capacity and the worship space was filled with the noises of life that surrounded the church complex… from the chickens on the church grounds and the young children singing outside during what seemed to be Sunday School time, to noises of street activity and the neighboring apartment complex, our senses were enlightened as we engaged the spiritual practice of worship.• Kimbamba United Methodist Church ~ Prior to our arrival, we asked if it would be possible to attend Sunday morning worship in a more rural location. Many locations were considered, but ultimately the church in Kimabamba was chosen. Kimbamba is about 23 kilometers, or 14 miles north of Malnje. The trip took about an hour as our caravan navigated the washed out dirt road and made our way through several small communities.

If my memory serves me correctly, the original structure was built in 1968 and destroyed in 1998 during the civil war… the congregation is currently meeting for worship in a small building adjacent to the original sanctuary. We were accompanied to Kimbamba by three district superintendants and about 15 women from the Central Church in Malanje, several of which were riding in the back of the truck we were in, and who provided processional music and a few musical offerings during worship. Following a short time of picture-taking, meeting, and greeting people, we were called to worship by gentleman calling the village in through the ringing of the church bell (a three foot section of railroad rail). Worship lasted a few hours and included many of the elements that we had experienced at the Central Church in Malanje. During our worship time in Kimbamba, Jeremy was afforded an opportunity to preach on the topic of discipleship, through the book of Acts, while Kristen translated in Spanish… most of which appeared to be understood by the primarily Portuguese speaking congregation. Following worship, and an hour or so of down time, the community brought tables from their houses and hosted a meal for us in the worship space. For me, our time in Kimbamba was one of the highlights of my entire journey… the worship was enlightening and the people were amazing.• Course of Study Morning Worship at Quessua ~ On one occasion, we had an opportunity to join Rev. Andre Cassule out at Quessua for morning worship with the course of study students. While this gathering was devotional in nature it was every bit as spirited as the other worship gatherings we attended and it reminded me of a lot of chapel time back at Saint Paul School of Theology during my seminary days.

During worship each of the three of us were able to address the group through a short greeting and were then treated to a time of teaching from one of the students who taught about the nature of tithing and talked enthusiastically about people ‘making change’ in the offering plate... putting in a large bill and pulling out a smaller bill… "Stealing from God!!" as he communicated it. Many of the course of study students participate in the supplemental salary program, so our time with them on this and other occasions was invaluable.

February 06, 2012

Born though song…Growing in my faith at, and coming out of, East Heights United Methodist Church in Wichita, Kansas I have a deep level appreciation for all varieties of spiritual and religious music as well as for the choirs, bands, and individuals that celebrate their faith through music. Music seems to provide and international connection that knows no boundaries. In the life of organized religion, music has served as a platform to draw us closer to LOVE and closer to one another… after all Jesus’ response to his last big meal with close friends to go out to the Mount of Olives and sing a hymn. It has been my experience that American, Chinese, Korean, Costa Rican, and the spiritual songs of the people of Mexico all bring a certain unique flavor to the global portrait that communicates attentiveness to faith formation through song. While the Churches of China, Korea, Costa Rica, and Mexico prepared me for the uniqueness of international ecclesial music, the churches of East Angola, Africa have definitely added another layer to my understanding of the depth at which music draws us closer to the notion of cosmic love. During our time in Angola we have experienced two Sunday morning worship gatherings, a choir practice, a course of study ceremony, and we have had a unique opportunity to record five songs shared by the choir from the Central United Methodist Church of Malanje, Angola… each experience unique in nature and each working to give us a deeper understanding of the role of music in the East Angolan Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. As I type this, my ears are filled with singing that is resonating from the streets of Malanje near our house and I am reminded of our journey yesterday to Kimbamba that was underscored by the singing of a central church women’s choir as we were in transit both ways, on the church grounds prior to worship, and within worship itself. Early on, Alcides told us that ‘the Church in Angola was born through singin’ … after being here for a week I’m pretty sure that observation is accurate. During our time here in East Angola we have been blessed by solo musical offerings, trios, youth choirs, men’s choirs, women’s choirs and large mixed choirs… all of which have tapped into the energy of God’s spirit in this place. With respect to worship, musical offerings are woven throughout from beginning to end. A portion of the songs are familiar to us, but a majority are unique to the Angolan people and are shared in Portuguese or Kimbundu, one of the national languages. More so at the central church in Malanje, than in Kimbamba, various groups within the life of the congregation took a moment during worship to share a musical offering… during these musical moments the congregation typically responds by contributing a financial offering. There seems to be a tad bit more singing and musical celebration contained within the course of worship in Angola, but the passion that drives this element of worship is no different than can be found in other churches across the globe on any given worship day. I can say, however, that because it is new and different, the congregational and choral offerings we have experienced during our time here have been transformational in nature and have touched us deeply. Personally, I was both caught off guard and inspired by the songs and amount of singing that celebrates what it means to be a United Methodist… something we don’t regularly do at home, but probably should. I hope that we get to hear a wide variety of these sorts of songs at General Conference in April.

Opportunities for enrichment…We visited the Quessua Mission Station the first evening that we arrived in Angola and have made several trips back to the station since we have been here. The Quessua Mission Station, located about 10 miles from Malanje, Angola, and run by the East Angola Conference, was established (as I understand it) over 100 years ago by Bishop William Taylor and other early Methodist missionaries to Angola. After decades of leadership training and education, Quessua was destroyed by the 27 years of civil war in Angola.

Since the end of the war in 2002, the United Methodist church of East Angola has been working to rebuild Quessua, building by building. As of the time of our visit, many of the structures including the church, several school buildings, dormitories, the ‘Faculty’ (Seminary) building, the Domestic School building, and a number of houses. While electricity has not been restored, there are several generators that provide electricity to Quessua. During our visits to the mission station, we have had opportunities to meet the two Cuban missionaries sponsored by the Florida Conference, tour the buildings, meet many of the students, and interview a number of the pastors involved in our salary supplement partnership who were on-site for the month-long course of study program that is hosted by the East Angola Conference prior to each Annual Conference session. I have no idea exactly how large in land area the mission is, but it is several miles from the entrance of the station to the heart where the buildings are located. It seems to me that the mission station at Quessua is an incredible resource for the East Angola Annual Conference and that there are MANY opportunities for partnerships with American Annual Conferences, Churches, Individuals, and Seminaries. Among the needs are continued infra-structure support, support for the secondary school, support and scholarships for the seminary and its students, support for the United Methodist church located at Quessua, support for the ‘Domestic School’, support for the annual course of study program, missionary support, and… for the love of the living God… could Saint Paul School of Theology and Cokesbury please find it within themselves to beef up the library at the seminary at Quessua and provide theological books for the students. I am ashamed to admit that my personal library, thanks to my undergraduate and seminary professors, is large than the library at the seminary at Quessua.

In addition to the vital Yellowstone Conference Pastoral Salary Support Partnership, which I will address in a future post, there is a great need for support and growth within the area of education inside of the East Angola Conference… The Mission Station at Quessua provides a unique setting and opportunity for growth for the educational needs of the East Angola Conference which are tied directly to the success or failure of the Pastoral Salary Support Project. As we have come to understand the East Angola process for starting new churches and equipping clergy and lay people, it is my sincere hope that a denominational resource like Path One would consider creating a Lay Missionary Planting Network for the people of Angola, housed at Quessua. While, personally, the Pastoral Salary Supplement Support project is my number one priority for the Yellowstone Annual Conference, I am very interested in being an advocate for the East Angola Annual Conference and in working to foster opportunities to live into the the connectional nature of the United Methodist Church, which is supposed to be a part of our DNA. Quessua is a very special place… it meets very specific needs within the life of our denomination and we would do well to support this Kingdom oriented missional outpost from across the pond.

Trying something new…Traveling anywhere, whether it is within the United States or to another country, affords one the opportunity to be a tad bit adventurous with respect to food. Each destination across the globe offers its own perspective on fine and casual dining. While in Angola we have not been to adventurous, but we have tried a few things outside of the norm for our ‘soft’ American stomachs. Our first chance to get a little crazy came on our road-trip from Luanda to Malange. After a few hours in the car we were due a break, so Rev. Cassule pulled into a little developed area alongside the road…. on the lunch menu for the day, an Angolan staple, Funge accompanied by boiled pork parts in some sort of sauce. Funge de bombo, I’ve read, is a bit more common in northern Angola and is a paste, or porridge of cassava, made from cassava flour. Funge is a bit gelatinous in consistency and gray in color with an interesting taste that lingers for a spell… it was great to try, but for me, might be an acquired taste that may take some getting used to. The Funge was a bit more palatable when we dipped it in the pork juice but was still a bit of a stretch after a night of air travel and a long morning car ride.Since our arrival, our daily meal routine has involved toast with butter and jelly for breakfast; grilled chicken, rice, and French fries for lunch; and grilled chicken, rice, and French fries for dinner…. two times we have had fish with our rice and fries, and a few days in we started having chick peas mixed into our rice…. several times Trish has cooked up a one-pot mixture of black beans and meat, probably pork and chorizo.

The few times we have ventured out for meals we have enjoyed hamburgers with fries and an egg built in, a bean-pork-rice dish, and most recently a trip to a buffet for some ‘spaghetti’ that was made special for us. On at least two occasions, we have strolled over to the nearby Café Fenix for a soda and pudding or mousse… today we were treated to a pasta pouch stuffed with chicken to accompany our mid-afternoon soda break. As far as drinks go, we’ve consumed copious amounts of bottled water, canned soda, a bit of mango juice, and few coffees for Jeremy and Kristen.On the topic of hospitality, we have been treated extremely well… Alcides and Andre have toted us around from place to place, the Bishop has taken time to meet with us and has exhibited a great deal of care and concern for our well-being, and the folks at Ana Ingles’ house have been extremely focused on creating a hospitable environment for us… they have cooked for us, cleaned our space daily, greeted us each morning with happy hearts, and have sent off and welcomed us home from our adventures with big smiles and lots of Portuguese words.

Many times over we have been introduced as representatives of the Yellowstone Conference and each time we have been warmly welcomed and treated like valued guests. It seems as if hospitality around these parts is a universal language and way of being… except perhaps from the guard at the governor’s palace that was less than impressed by my attempt at a photo op inside one of the guard stations. We have been overwhelmed by the graciousness of our hosts and we are hopeful that we are representing the Yellowstone Conference, and our partnership with the East Angola Conference, to the best of our ability.

February 03, 2012

In the early planning stages of our trip we discussed a couple of ways to get from the airport in Luanda to our host house in Malanje… about 450 kilometers or 280 miles. Ultimately it worked out that a pastor from the East Angola Conference, Rev. Andre Cassule, would greet us at the airport and shuttle us to Malanje by car. Although it was a bit tight with Jeremy in the front seat hosting a large duffel bag on his lap and Kristen and I sharing the backseat with two large pieces of luggage, the trip was well worth any amount of discomfort. While all three of us dozed off and on and drifted in and out of conversations with Andre, the road-trip provided us an incredible opportunity to begin the process of fully understanding what we had each signed up for. The nature of the landscape held our attention each time we opened our eyes from our moments of rest and began to paint a portrait of the nuances of our host country. The roadside was dashed with stretches of wild, untamed lands, infinite signs of humanity in the roadside villages, and with hundreds of people navigating the road on foot.

Following a few stops to stretch our legs and take pictures, a lunch break at a road-side café (or as Kristen refers to it, a truck stop), and about six hours of travel, we arrived in the city of Malanje, our host city for the next 14 days.

Situated about 290 miles from the Atlantic coast, over 1,000 miles south of the equator, and at an elevation of nearly 3,800 feet… Malanje is the capital city of the Malanje Province and home to nearly 220,000 Angolans. For United Methodists, Malanje marks the home of the East Angolan Conference as well as the home of the Malanje District. The Conference office, Bishop’s office, and district office are all situated on the Property of the Central United Methodist Church of Malanje.

Stoplights in this town are non-existent as is any sense of organized urban transportation, similar to urban travel in many other countries of the world. The main mode of transportation is by foot with scooters and motorcycles coming in a close second, and automobiles being ranked third. From what we hear, the cost of living in Malanje is a tad higher than it is in Luanda… primarily because of the great distance that ordinary commodities must travel. Housing costs range from $10,000.00 US to $80,000.00 to $200,000.00. The exchange rate, at least that we are getting from the Black-Market folks, is 10,000 Kwanza to $100.00 US… about 9,400 to $100.00 at the banks. A coke cost us about $1.00, a soccer ball $10.00, an ice cream cone $2.50, a gallon of gas $2.40, lunch for the 3 of us at a café $48.00, and a one day fee for a rental car is about $220.00.Malanje is a very busy place… from the moment the sun comes up until late in the evening, people are navigating the city streets and going about their daily tasks. The streets are lined with houses, shops, banks, and a variety of official Angolan Government buildings. Since we have been here we have only seen one traffic accident and had one Jeremy v. Scooter incident that was a close call with no actual contact. Our host house in Malanje is owned by Ana Ingles and is about six blocks from the city center and the Conference office. The guest house that we are staying in is attached to Ana’s house, has 3 bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, a kitchen area, and a large fenced/gated courtyard.

Trish is our head cook and is assisted with daily tasks by a woman name Tresa… we also have two canine companions for ‘protection’ and two security guards that take shifts tending to us during the day and sleep in a small room in the courtyard at night. While I appreciate their presence, I hot not yet felt insecure, but perhaps that is because of their presence :-). Malanje is an incredible place that offers a unique expression of life in Africa.

Whether traveling by car or plane, there is no experience quite like arriving at a new and unfamiliar destination. Arriving at a new place within the United States provides a certain sense of comfort and familiarity because, for the most part, we know what to expect. Arriving in a foreign land can sometimes be a very different experience. While most airports across the globe are similar in that there are planes, buildings, a tower, runways, a place to check in, a security checkpoint, and a place to (hopefully) receive your luggage, each airport experience is unique in its own way. What enjoy about arriving in a new land is that, as soon as the door opens, the culture pours over your five senses like fresh rain. Leaving the airport in Germany and arriving at the airport in Luanda, Africa provided a unique shock to my senses that was both expected and something that I eagerly anticipated. From the moment we touched down, the process of cultural assimilation was initiated as I peered out the window to see the structures that lined the runway… structures unlike any other any I had ever seen before. As the plane parked, and we made our way to the door of the plane, we were greeted by the rush of warm humid air… within minutes we were rushed off by bus to the receiving area where we stood in line to have our passports processed.

Waiting in line anywhere is intriguing to me, but there is nothing quite like standing in a line like this in a foreign land. Our thirty minute wait afforded us time to wake up, open ourselves to imagine the life-stories and in-country intentions of the people around us, and to begin the process of imagining what our own journey would be like. After clearing the passport/visa station, getting cleared for yellow fever immunizations, and gathering our bags (everything made it) we made our way through customs… at least Jeremy and I did… Kristen got green-lighted to bypass the x-ray screening and was free to go. Moments after we arrived in the greeting area we were welcomed by one of our hosts, Rev. Andre Cassule, escorted to his sedan, and creatively began the process of stuffing ourselves and ten pieces of luggage into the car for the 6 hour ride to Malanje. Game On!!

February 01, 2012

A numbered of things sparked my curiosity and grabbed my attention during our short time in Germany…• The Food – If my memory serves me correctly, I’m part German and part Italian which qualifies me for many things food related, in particular ‘consumption of’ as well as an ‘appreciation of.’ Germany was no disappointment in this area.

While German cuisine is a lot closer to American cuisine that the food we ate in China and South Korea, it still has an element of adventure built in… especially in those times that we were just pointing to an item on the menu as was the case with our Schnitzel, a Kingdom gift from the Germans that pleased my palette and left me wanting more. Something could also be said for the Bread, Jeremy’s favorite, the Gyros just off the square in Mainz, and the frankfurters at the ‘Hopscotch’ café.• The Clothes – One thing that caught my attention as we emerged from the underground train station, in the center of Frankfurt, was that nearly all of the people busily making their way through the square at that particular time were all wearing grey or black. At that moment, as I looked in all directions I only saw three people wearing color and those three were wearing red. I have not yet figured out the theological implications of this observation, but I’m sure it was more than ‘mess with Mark’s head’ day in downtown Frankfurt. At the very least it painted an interesting portrait of simplicity as it related to the urban landscape that we were experiencing.• The Green Spaces – Overall, the two towns that we visited, Frankfurt and Mainz, seemed extremely clean and well kept. In Frankfurt Jeremy led us to a long and winding green space that was continuous in nature and seemed to circumnavigate 75 % of the city center… scattered all along the path were schools, playgrounds, soccer fields, and apartment buildings. As we walked along this path for an hour or more I couldn’t help but wonder what this are looked like in the early months of 1944.• The Churches – Many elements of the ‘Church’ in Germany caught and held my attention, all of which I hope to post about at some point in the future. But, for the sake of brevity, my mind continues to stay focused on the buildings themselves. Of the five or six churches we visited, all had many things in common… size, ‘ornateness,’ attention to detail, and the mere number of times they were each constructed and re-constructed. It wasn’t the buildings themselves that were distracting to me, but rather the focused attention on rebuilding these structures three or four times over. I was extremely distracted by the thought of the recurring expenses incurred each time one of these building had to be rebuilt not to mention the human resources consumed by each rebuilding… and also, as my friend Kendall pointed out, the amount of financial resources needed for maintenance and reconditioning/refurbishing.

While ‘boxing up’ God (Ark… Tabernacle…Temple… Synagogue… House… Church, etc.) keeps us true to our Jewish and Christian traditions… we have, by my observation, in many instances gone above and beyond the call of the Kingdom and actively exploited the true nature of what it means to “dwell deeply in the House of God [love].” While “Structure-ism” and the ‘edifice-complex’ plague are deeply entrenched in western ecclesiology, they don’t hold a candle to the attention given to ecclesial buildings in Germany. Perhaps Jesus has a bit to teach us all about the nature of our religious structures and our unwillingness to break free of ‘Building Bondage.’• The Architecture – The architecture was striking in that it was a mix of old and new… semi-ancient church buildings laid next to steel and glass structures that qualify for a spot on ‘Modern Marvels’• The History – Coming from a country with a four centuries of developed, imperialized history… it was fascinating to see things alluded to that were a tad older than what we experience in America, at least from the 1700’s forward. While modern Germany doesn’t seem to hold an historical candle to what I experienced in China, but it does offer a unique snapshot of the Age of Enlightenment forward. Many of the buildings we visited held within them carved stones of identification from the 14,15, and 1600’s.• Airport Security – As a word of advice… I do not personally recommend leaving an airtight, waterproof, stealth-looking video camera case at the security screening area in the Frankfurt airport. 

The benefits of a two day layover in Frankfurt, Germany…

Months ago, as we began to plan our trip to Angola, we looked at several travel options to get to our ultimate destination of Malanje, Angola. While we originally looked at spending a few days in South Africa, ultimately it worked out for us to layover in Frankfurt, Germany for two nights. The layover proved fruitful on multiple levels. Not only did our time in Frankfurt offer an opportunity for our bodies to begin the process of adjusting to the crossing of multiple time-zones, but it also afforded us the opportunity to begin the process of adjusting to one another as travel companions. In addition, we were able take in a number of cultural experiences, quite different from what we are accustomed to in Montana, as well as discuss the nature of our trip to Angola, our expectations for the trip, and our hopes for desired outcomes of this ‘Missional Immersion.’ My time in Frankfurt with Jeremy and Kristen proved to be more fruitful that I could have ever imagined it to be.

Personally, I have only traveled out of the United States a few times… a mission trip Reynosa, Mexico to build a house, a mission trip to Pital, Costa Rica to help with a building project for the church there, and a cultural immersion to China and South Korea to explore theology and evangelism as part of a seminary course…. each time, my international curiosity and appreciation of unique cultures has grown tenfold. Each adventure has opened my mind and heart to the reality of what it means to be a participant in a global context. Each of us, in our own way, add a unique flavor to the reality of the Kingdom of God. While the parts of Germany that we visited felt very much like home in many ways, there were very distinct differences that reminded us that we were far from home. From our taxi ride to the hotel (at 170 kph which translates to 105 miles per hour) to the moment we came up out of the subway station into central Frankfurt, all five of our senses were washed in the German urban culture. Although none of us speak German, we were able to communicate enough to order food, purchase items from various stores, and make our way to various historical sites. While knowing a bit of German would have been nice… from a theological perspective it could be said that ‘Kingdom Language’ is universal. Numerous times we were exposed to a German form of theological anthropology, or what it means to be human in a German context, and numerous times we were exposed to a German form of ecclesiology that sparked a sense of enlightenment within each of us. When John Wesley spoke of ‘Tradition,’ as an element of spiritual formation, I believe that he was pointing to a sense of spiritual depth and growth that is a byproduct of an immersion into the rich traditions that have shaped humanity and Christianity over time. From a macro level, engaging the Jewish tradition and early Christian traditions as well as embracing moments in time like Wesley’s exploration of the Moravian tradition and my own recent opportunity to be exposed to German culture and religious tradition, it could be said that there is an element of spiritual enlightenment that can only be obtained by looking closely at where we have been in order to understand the path that we are on and the Kingdom that we are currently exploring. To have bypassed our stop in Frankfurt, Germany would have been to have bypassed valuable planning and relational time with my travel mates and would have caused me to bypass an invaluable opportunity to physically be exposed to a culture and context that has shaped Christianity in ways that are sometimes incomprehensible to those of us with western biased lenses.

To have bypassed our stop in Germany would have been to have bypassed an opportunity to stand quietly in a vault with a Bible printed in 1452 by Johann Gutenberg … an opportunity to be ‘present’ with one simple, tangible physical element that has shaped and transformed our Christian tradition and experience.